Daytona OKs request to rezone land behind Kmart for development

Published: Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at 8:43 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at 10:52 p.m.

DAYTONA BEACH — It's just a matter of time now before a large piece of forested land across from Halifax Health Medical Center becomes a new development that could include apartments, hotels, restaurants, shops, professional offices and medical buildings.

At their meeting Wednesday night, city commissioners unanimously OK'd the hospital's request to rezone the vacant 77.5-acre property from only hospital and medical uses to a planned master development that will allow a variety of new uses that could still include medical buildings as well as nursing homes, churches, gyms and hair salons.

"It looks like a good project," City Commissioner Pam Woods said before commissioners cast their votes.

Hospital officials are still determining exactly what will go on the land behind the Kmart on International Speedway Boulevard, but they are about to get the property ready for interested developers and businesses. Clearing of the land west of Clyde Morris Boulevard will get under way next month, and some time after that all infrastructure, such as roads and water pipes, will be installed.

"We're getting the property there in position," Glenn Ritchey, vice chairman of the Halifax Health Board of Commissioners and the city's former mayor, has said. "This prepares the hospital for any potential opportunities. We don't have plans to build anything there in the near future."

Rob Merrell, a Daytona Beach attorney working with Halifax Health, has said the hospital has had some discussions with private developers, but agreed with Ritchey that nothing specific is in the works. Halifax Health has plenty of space on the east side of Clyde Morris Boulevard and will stay where it is, Ritchey said.

Halifax Health also plans to demolish a former hospital building at the corner of Clyde Morris Boulevard and Dunn Avenue, which will give the hospital a total of about 86 acres of open property to redevelop. Halifax Health hopes the 8.8-acre site that has the large white building that was home to a hospital and some other uses over the past few decades will also be rezoned to become part of the planned master development.

Other existing buildings fronting Clyde Morris Boulevard and Dunn Avenue will not be demolished, according to officials.

The new zoning on the 77.5 acres could result in some combination of up to 1,600 apartments, nearly 5,000 hotel rooms, 1.3 million square feet of retail space, 2 million square feet of hospital space, 3.1 million square feet of business space and 3.1 million square feet of office space. Those are the maximum numbers the city will allow now under the planned master development, but not all of the different types of uses will be allowed to hit the maximum figures — nor will all of that fit.

Building heights will probably have to be limited to about 75 feet, or seven stories, and any building larger than 20,000 square feet will need to be reviewed and approved by the city's Planning Board.

<p>DAYTONA BEACH &mdash; It's just a matter of time now before a large piece of forested land across from Halifax Health Medical Center becomes a new development that could include apartments, hotels, restaurants, shops, professional offices and medical buildings. </p><p>At their meeting Wednesday night, city commissioners unanimously OK'd the hospital's request to rezone the vacant 77.5-acre property from only hospital and medical uses to a planned master development that will allow a variety of new uses that could still include medical buildings as well as nursing homes, churches, gyms and hair salons. </p><p>"It looks like a good project," City Commissioner Pam Woods said before commissioners cast their votes. </p><p>Hospital officials are still determining exactly what will go on the land behind the Kmart on International Speedway Boulevard, but they are about to get the property ready for interested developers and businesses. Clearing of the land west of Clyde Morris Boulevard will get under way next month, and some time after that all infrastructure, such as roads and water pipes, will be installed. </p><p>"We're getting the property there in position," Glenn Ritchey, vice chairman of the Halifax Health Board of Commissioners and the city's former mayor, has said. "This prepares the hospital for any potential opportunities. We don't have plans to build anything there in the near future." </p><p>Rob Merrell, a Daytona Beach attorney working with Halifax Health, has said the hospital has had some discussions with private developers, but agreed with Ritchey that nothing specific is in the works. Halifax Health has plenty of space on the east side of Clyde Morris Boulevard and will stay where it is, Ritchey said. </p><p>Halifax Health also plans to demolish a former hospital building at the corner of Clyde Morris Boulevard and Dunn Avenue, which will give the hospital a total of about 86 acres of open property to redevelop. Halifax Health hopes the 8.8-acre site that has the large white building that was home to a hospital and some other uses over the past few decades will also be rezoned to become part of the planned master development. </p><p>Other existing buildings fronting Clyde Morris Boulevard and Dunn Avenue will not be demolished, according to officials. </p><p>The new zoning on the 77.5 acres could result in some combination of up to 1,600 apartments, nearly 5,000 hotel rooms, 1.3 million square feet of retail space, 2 million square feet of hospital space, 3.1 million square feet of business space and 3.1 million square feet of office space. Those are the maximum numbers the city will allow now under the planned master development, but not all of the different types of uses will be allowed to hit the maximum figures &mdash; nor will all of that fit. </p><p>Building heights will probably have to be limited to about 75 feet, or seven stories, and any building larger than 20,000 square feet will need to be reviewed and approved by the city's Planning Board.</p>